Google has just removed the button to display an image directly from the Google image search. However, there is a way to find it.
Google announced through a tweet that it had made some changes in its image search engine.
Today we’re launching some changes on Google Images to help connect users and useful websites. This will include removing the View Image button. The Visit button remains, so users can see images in the context of the webpages they’re on. pic.twitter.com/n76KUj4ioD
– Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) Feb. 15, 2018
To the dismay of Internet users, the Mountain View firm signed the death warrant for the “display image” button which, as its name clearly indicates, allowed the image to be displayed in full screen from the ‘Direct URL of the file.
This change was made to make image theft more difficult, following a complaint filed by Getty Image with the European Commission against Google.
From now on, the user who will perform the search for an image will be able to display it only by going through the site on which it is hosted in order to view it in its context.
However, it is possible to get around this limitation very easily by installing an extension on your web browser to restore the display of the original “Show image” button.
1. Download the extension
Whether you are using Google Chrome or Firefox, proceed to install the View Image extension on your browser.
Download View Image for Google Chrome (Free)
Download View Image for Firefox (Free)
2. Modify options
Once the extension is installed on your browser, the “Open Image” button should make a comeback in Google Image.
It is however possible to personalize its action. Natively, View Image opens the image in a new tab when you click the “Open Image” button. However, it is possible to force the image to open in the same window by right-clicking on the extension icon, then in Options, deactivate “Open images in a new tab”.
